Top Spin

[donny]

Folks,

I am looking to improve my forehand top spin, can anyone give me some advice.

Donny White

[klacr]

donny,

You are close to opening up a can of worms with this question. Not in a bad way though. If there is such a thing as a good can of worms. Your question is coming from a genuine place but extremely vague. Many of us are visual learners, do you have video. If you have video, you'll get some great feedback.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[klacr]

What type of forehand do you have now?

Is it relatively flat and you'd like to add more topspin to it?

Do you already hit with respectable topspin but trying to reach that next level and really make the ball jump off court?

What kind of grip do you have?

What level player are you?

Answering these questions will allow us to assist you in this pursuit of yours known as "more topspin". I'm sure the easy way out of this thread and to make the obligatory teaching comment "low to high". But we all know it can be more complicated than that. All depends on what we are working with. Let us know.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[johnyandell]

Kyle,


Well said. It's not like adding more mayo on a burger. Or maybe better said, you got to have the burger first.

I heard from Donny and he is a new subscriber. My advice is to look in Advanced Tennis at the sections on the forehand at the preparation and the the article on extension and rotation.

If those core elements are there topspin is virtually automatic--and you have the technical capability to learn to vary it by the shot.

PS: Great to finally meet up at the USPTA National.

[klacr]

Thanks John. Great to meet you in Orlando as well. Glad we could discuss many topics in our tennis universe. Great presentation, I had planned on asking you several questions, but you seemed to answer each one moments before I was about to send the query. One step ahead of me John. We'll be in touch more frequently in the near future.

As for donny, there is a wealth of information on this site to help you diagnose and correct your own game. To ask others for help is admirable but you must be aware of what you are truly working with.

Welcome to the site. I'm sure you'll find the info here very helpful and have a better understanding of your own game and how it works which can be the best improvement of all.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[johnyandell]

Who else has thoughts on topspin?

[stroke]

I think he should read the Brian Gordon articles on the ATP forehand, which Brian feels is the key to hitting the true heavy ball.

[klacr]

Donny,

You may also be interested in reading any of the "Your Strokes" section. Any of the players on there in which John worked on their forehand. There are numerous examples and may be a great way to establish some fundamentals first and see if any of the students FH's are similar to yours. if so, you may be able to gain the proper understanding of your own game and your topspin may improve just by the better technique learned through their lesson. Worth a shot.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Donny,

You may also be interested in reading any of the "Your Strokes" section. Any of the players on there in which John worked on their forehand. There are numerous examples and may be a great way to establish some fundamentals first and see if any of the students FH's are similar to yours. if so, you may be able to gain the proper understanding of your own game and your topspin may improve just by the better technique learned through their lesson. Worth a shot.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Good plan, Klacr!

Post some clips, too, donny. You'll get loads of help. Without posting some clips of your forehand it's tough to know how we can help you and where to start.